Trip levers used to lift flush valves are well known in the prior art. Plunger valves and flapper type flush valves are examples of early type flush valves where a chain was connected directly from the trip lever to the valve for lifting it from the valve seat to initiate water flow from the toilet tank into the bowl. Twisting of the chain in many instances during the flush sequence caused the flush valve to improperly seat and consequently there would be a continuous discharge of water into the toilet bowl. To remedy the resulting “running toilet” problem, an adjustment to the chain was necessary to permit the valve to properly seat. Both plunger and flapper type flush valves, although still extensively used, and in addition to chain interference with seating of the flush valve, have the environmental problem of reliably controlling the amount of water or size of a flush on a consistent basis. This has led to new and improved valves or closure bodies to initiate flushing where the closure body or flush valve may be, for example, a hollow body having a vertical axis co-axial with the central axis of the valve seat and directly linked to the trip lever. The linkage between the trip lever and hollow body, however, upon actuation of the trip lever has been unreliable in assuring that throughout the flush sequence that the vertical axis of the body would remain co-axial with the central axis of the valve seat; misalignment of these axes upon closure of the flush valve would result in an imperfect seal resulting in a “running toilet”.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a direct linkage mechanism for lifting the flush valve so as to retain co-axial alignment during the flush sequence of the vertical axis of the flush valve and the valve seat central axis so as to assure a proper seal upon the seating of the flush valve body.